As a white English man, I think I am the single most important person to listen to when it comes to the value of this book. I am joking obviously, but it is super nice to have a single object I can hand to family members when they say “Why don’t you like the homeland?”…
It’s really hard to avoid reading about the conditions that a lot of people are working under today. Before the pandemic it was already questionable, especially with the rise of the gig economy. But the pandemic, particularly in the United States, has brought a lot of those issues into sharp detail. So when I heard…
Continue reading ➞ The Factory Witches of Lowell – Could Have Used More Time In The Loom
Originally I wasn’t going to review this book because it is by Guy Gavriel Kay, and here at The Quill to Live we basically have a blanket recommendation for anything he has ever written. His ability to churn out a powerful novel that is equal parts historical fiction, fantasy, and love note to history is…
Continue reading ➞ A Brightness Long Ago – Cherished Memories And Lessons Learned
It will come as no surprise that I loved today’s book, The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. We at Quill consider Kay to be one of the best authors currently in the fantasy and science-fiction scene, and when we read one of his books it is less a question of “is it good”,…
Continue reading ➞ The Lions Of Al-Rassan – The Meaning Of Loyalty
The pun in my title would work a lot better if this book had been bad, but alas, it was amazing. Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart, is an underappreciated fantasy gem from the 80’s that I feel more people should know about. On the surface, it is a simple and elegant alternative history story…
Continue reading ➞ Bridge of Birds – Can’t See The Flock For The Fowls
So I debated whether or not to even review this book because I think my net summary is “it wasn’t for me”. Amberlough, by Lara Elena Donnelly, is the first book in The Amberlough Dossier, and has a cool concept: fantasy spy thriller that revolves around a cabaret. I am really big on the fantasy…
I am super tired of hearing about Odysseus. Look, he was an incredible hero of popular lore, and his story is great, but holy hells has his tale been retold a lot of times. My personal favorite version of his story is actually the trilogy by David Gemmell, starting with Lord of the Silver Bow,…
I have finally gotten around to reading one of the most popular fantasy series from the last decade, Temeraire, by Naomi Novik. The nine book series starts with His Majesty’s Dragon, and has just concluded last year with its final installment. The series is a historical fiction set in the Napoleonic Wars, with almost everything…
Continue reading ➞ His Majesty’s Dragon – A Good Ole English Time
